SDR Onboarding Checklist

Use this checklist when onboarding new SDRs to your team. It covers the first 30 days from tool access to first qualified meeting booked. Adapt the timeline based on your product complexity and average deal size — enterprise teams may need 45-60 days.

Pre-Start (Before Day 1)

• Create accounts in CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot)
• Set up sequencing tool (Outreach, Salesloft, Apollo)
• Provision email with proper domain warming — send 10-15 organic emails per day for the first week
• Set up LinkedIn Sales Navigator seat
• Add to call recording platform (Gong, Chorus)
• Create Slack channels: #sdr-new-hire-{{name}}, add to #sdr-team
• Prepare territory/account list — minimum 200 accounts loaded into CRM
• Schedule Week 1 calendar: manager 1:1s, shadow sessions, product demos
• Share pre-reading packet: ICP document, competitive battlecards, top 5 case studies
• Assign onboarding buddy (tenured SDR, not the manager)

Week 1: Foundation

Day 1

• Laptop setup and tool access verification — have them log into every tool
• Company overview: mission, funding stage, GTM motion, org chart
• Product demo from a senior AE (not a recording — live, with Q&A)
• ICP deep dive: target titles, company signals, disqualification criteria
• Review the SDR operations workflow and how data flows between tools

Day 2-3

• Buyer persona workshop — walk through 3 real closed-won deals end to end
• Competitive landscape: top 3 competitors, key differentiators, common objections
• Review existing cold email sequences — read every email, discuss why each works
• Shadow 5+ discovery calls with a senior SDR or AE on Gong
• Practice CRM data entry: create a test lead, log activity, update stage

Day 4-5

• Write first draft of personal email sequence (3 emails) for feedback
• Role-play: 3 cold call attempts with manager, recorded for review
• Learn meeting booking process: calendar links, CRM fields, AE handoff notes
• Quiz: ICP criteria, top 3 objections and responses, product value props
• Set Week 2 goals with manager

Week 1 Gate: SDR can articulate the ICP, name 3 competitors, and explain the core product value prop in under 60 seconds.

Week 2: Guided Practice

• Launch first email sequence to 25 accounts (manager-approved copy)
• Make 20+ cold calls per day with manager listening to first 5
• Review call recordings daily — self-score against the cold call script framework
• LinkedIn outreach: send 10 personalized connection requests per day
• Attend a pipeline review meeting as an observer
• Mid-week 1:1: review email open rates, call connect rates, identify patterns
• Adjust messaging based on first-week data
• Complete CRM hygiene training: field requirements, lead status definitions, activity logging standards

Week 2 Gate: SDR has sent sequences to 25+ accounts, made 80+ calls, and can handle the top 5 objections without a script.

Week 3: Independent Execution

• Increase daily activity to full quota levels (varies by team — typically 50 calls, 30 emails, 10 LinkedIn touches)
• Manage own pipeline: update lead statuses, log all activities in CRM
• Handle inbound lead follow-up within SLA (typically < 5 minutes for MQLs)
• Run first solo discovery call — manager listens on Gong, provides written feedback within 24 hours
• Build personal account research workflow: trigger events, technographics, org charts
• Participate in team call blitz session
• Review pipeline metrics and compare personal activity to team averages

Week 3 Gate: SDR is at 80%+ of daily activity targets and has generated at least 2 qualified conversations.

Week 4: Full Ramp

• Operating at full daily activity quota
• Book first qualified meeting with an AE
• Receive and act on feedback from AE on meeting quality
• Present one account plan to the team: why this account, what signals triggered outreach, planned multi-channel approach
• Complete self-assessment: strengths, areas for improvement, preferred coaching style
• Manager completes 30-day review: activity metrics, meeting quality, cultural fit, development plan
• Set Month 2 quota expectations (typically 50-75% of full quota)
• Transition from onboarding buddy to standard team support structure

Week 4 Gate: SDR has booked at least 1 qualified meeting and is operating independently at full activity volume.

Ramp Metrics Tracker

Metric	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Full Ramp
Calls/Day	0 (shadow)	20	40	50	50
Emails/Day	0	15	25	30	30
LinkedIn/Day	0	5	10	10	10
Meetings Booked	0	0	0-1	1-2	4-6/month
Qualified Rate	N/A	N/A	N/A	> 50%	> 60%

How to Customize

• For product-led growth (PLG) teams, add a Week 1 task to use the product as a buyer would. SDRs who have gone through the trial themselves are dramatically better at qualifying product-qualified leads.
• For enterprise-heavy teams, extend to a 45-day ramp and add a dedicated week for vertical/industry training. Account research is more complex and the ABM approach requires deeper preparation.
• If your team uses a specific workflow automation setup, schedule a dedicated 2-hour session in Week 1 to walk through every automation that touches the SDR’s daily flow.